Life-preserver.



H. W. GAIN.

LVIFE PRESERVER- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1!. 191a.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

E tten HARRY WILLIAM GAIN, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO FREYSENG CORK COMPANY, LIMITED, 0]? TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, A CORPORATION OF ONTARIO, CANADA.

LIFE-PRESEBVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application filed June 11, 1918. Serial No. 239,428.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY WILLIAM GAIN, of the city of Toronto, in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Preservers, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements 1n life preservers and the object of the invention is to devise a life preserver which will support the body in such a position in the wateras to hold the mouth of the person clear above the normal water level and which will prevent any danger of the head falling forward so that the mouth becomes immersed and which is readily adaptable to fit various sized persons and it consists essentially of the following arrangement and construction of parts as hereinafter more particularly explained.

Figure 1, is a perspective view showing my life preserver applied.

Fig. 2, is an enlarged perspective detail of my preserver.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

1 indicates my preserver which is formed in rectangular shape and comprising front and back apron-like portions 1" and 2 con nected together by an intermediate flexible portion 3 preferably formed of canvas. The apron-like portions 1 and 2 are formed with a series of closed pockets 4:, 5 and 6 containing cork or other suitable buoyant material, the pockets being arranged on each side of the vertical center line and spaced apart. 7 indicates an opening which extends across the flexible portion 3 and in between the upper pockets 4: of the front and back aprons and through which the head and neck of the wearer are designed to pass. 8 and 9 indicate loops secured to the portion 3 at each side of the opening 7 adjacent to the upper edge of the pockets 4 of the back apron 2. 10 and 11 indicate loops secured to the front apron between the pockets 4: and 5.

12 indicates a string or tape. A string or tape 12 extends through each of theloops 10 and 11 and through the loops 8 and 9, the upper end of the tape 12 extending through the loops 8 and 9 and extending downwardly to the lower front edge of the portion 3. 13 indicates cross pieces carried by the free ends of the tapes 12 to prevent them drawing through the loops 10 and 11. let indicates a tape secured to the back apron 2 between the pockets 5 and 6.

l/Vhen the preserver is placed in position upon the wearer the wearer passes his head through the opening 7 so that the flexible portion 3 rests upon his shoulders, the apron 1 depending in front over the chest and the apron 2 down the back. When in this position the wearer grips the tapes 12 and draws them down thereby gathering the flexible portion 3 together into puckers as shown in Fig. 1, and the back apron 2 upward so that the upper pockets & thereof containing the buoyant material restupon the back portion of the shoulder as indicated in Fig. 1. The tapes 12 are then tied together into a knot or bow as at 12*, the free ends depending. The tape 1i is then passed around the waist of the wearer and around between the ends of the pockets 5 and 6 over the free ends of the tapes 12, the ends of the tape let being then tied into a knot let". By this means the preserver is so positioned on the body of the wearer that when he is in water his body will be supported in an inclined position, the buoyant material depending over his chest tending to draw the front of his body up toward the surface of the water with greater force than that extending over the back and, therefore, holding the body in a backwardly inclined position, so that the mouth of the person is directed upward preventing any tendency of the head of the person falling forward due to exhaustion and the month then sinking below the level of the water so as to drown him.

From this description it will be seen that I have devised a very simple device which will insure that the head of the wearer is held in such a position that it will not fall below the water level, the body being inclined backward so as to hold the head in this position and which by drawing up the tapes to the required extent will make the preserver readily adaptable to fit various sized persons.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A life preserver comprising an apronlike portion having a central opening through which the head of the wearer is designed to extend and forming back and front apron portions extending respectively over the chest and back of the wearer, pocktlons containing buoyant material, loops secured to the intermediate" portiomtf" the apron in aline with the bad: portion'of'the central opening, loops extending from the front apron portion and tapes secured to the intermediate portion of theapron in front of the loops adjacent to the central opening and adapted to pass rearw ardly"froln their point of attachment through the loops adjacent to the central o 'jening and'the1rfor- Wardly and "downwardly through'the' loops carried by the "front portion of theapron whereby when the preserver is"in'-position upon the wearer the central portionfiof the apron can be'drawn together over the shoulders and the back portionofthePap'rOn drawn upward on to the shoulders lay-the downward pull upon the tapes p'1'io1"to'-'tying ofthe tapes together; and a tape "secured to the back p'ortion'of the "apron" in proximity to its endand adaptedto'pass around the body'of the'weare'r in front *of thefrontportion of the wearenandtobe tiedtoget'her.

2. 'A life'preserver con'iprisiiig an-apronlike portion having a central opening through which the head'of the wearer i'sdesigned to extend and forniingloackand front .apron portions extending respectively over containing buoyant material; loops secured tothe intermediate 'poi'tion ofthe apron in aline With the back portion of the central opening loops extending from the front apron portion and tapes secured to the in- 'terlnedi'ateportioniof the apron in front of the loops adjacent to the central opening and adapted to pass-rearwardly fromftheir point of 'attachme'ntthrough the"loops adjacent "to the *entrah opening and' then forwardly and downwardly "through the loops c'arriediby the front 1 portion of'It-he :apron whereby when the preserver is =in= position upon the wearer the central portion fofthe apron eanbel drawn together-overthe shoulders *and 5 the a back portion fof' the apron drawnm wara "on to the -sho'ulders by: the downward pull upon the tapes prior. to ty-= ingof the tapes "together?and means for securing -the -lower ends of" the apron rportions to the b'ody o'f the wearer.

'1': HARRYWILLIAM GAIN.

Copies of this patent-may be" obtained tor 'five' cents Each?bi 'adflressingllthe'tfi Commissioner ofzlatnts,

Washington, 1). c." 

